A Business Week report is indicating that Hewlett-Packard could launch webOS smartphones and tablets sporting Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities before the end of the year. Citing “two people familiar with the company’s plans,” the report goes on to suggest that the move is intended to help HP keep up with competitors and prevent further erosion of webOS’ market share.
While NFC-equipped smartphones and tablets are still rare (the Google Nexus S is one such exception), it is expected that the feature will quickly catch on with manufacturers. RIM’s upcoming BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 will both support NFC. Rumours are also swirling that the upcoming Apple iPhone 5 could support NFC as well.
There has been no mention of NFC capabilities with the current wave of webOS devices (HP TouchPad, Pre 3 and Veer). This suggests that HP will launch a second wave of webOS devices likely in time for the holidays. With only the Veer out now, this seems a bit too rushed. But it’s likely that HP realizes it has to move quickly to have any chance of keeping webOS relevant.